Incubator.



P. M. WICKSTRUM.

INCUBATOR;

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1915.

31,182,509. Patented. May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

0 0 1 14+ r 1 o o 4 Z3 2) 2] Z2 I 1 Y z X .FMWZifiZfZZ/fl Witnesses. I Inventor Attorneys THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c. 7

P. M. WICKSTRUM.

INCUBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1915.

Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inventor Attorneys Witnesses ENT FFlQE.

PETER M. WICKSTRUM, 0F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

INCUBATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed. April 26, 1915. Serial No. 24,046.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PETER M. WIoKsrRuM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Incubator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined heating and ventilating system for incubators, brooders and the like, one of the objects of the invention being to combine, with a hot water heating system, means whereby a constant circulation of air is set up through the interior of the structure being heated, the said air serving to carry moisture into the structure from a humidor so that the air within said structure is maintained in a warm, pure and moist condition, the temperature being kept uniform throughout the interior of the structure.

A further object is to provide means whereby a percentage of the air in circulation is permitted to escape and to be displaced by fresh air, the air outlet being under the control of a thermostat which likewise' controls the escape of the hot gases from the heating medium so that the temperature within the incubator or brooder can be maintained at a predetermined degree automatically.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and. claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:-Figure 1 is a plan view of the heating and ventilating system constituting the present invention, a portion of the structure to be heated being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line CD Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line E-F Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a portion of an incubator or brooder structure, the same being provided in its upper portion with a radiator 2 preferably made up of angularly disposed communicating pipes, the said radiator having a supply pipe 3 and an outflow pipe 4, there being a partition 5 within the radiator and between the inlet and outlet pipes. The inlet pipe 3 communicates with the upper portion of a boiler 6 while the outflow pipe 4 communicates with the upper end of a by-pass 7 arranged within the boiler and opening into said boiler near the bottom thereof so that a circulation of water will thus be established when the contents of the boiler 6 are heated. Boiler 6 has a flue 8 extending therethrough, this flue being preferably frusto-conical and supported under the boiler is an annular supporting ledge 9 carrying an upstanding flange 10, and a jacket 8, the flange being adapted to surround the chimney 11 of the lamp 11 if such form of heater is employed, while the jacket extends around the boiler. A supplemental flue 12 can be placed in engagement with the flange 10 and be supported by ledge 9 within the flue 8 so that under some conditions the hot products of combustion will not come into direct contact with the major portion of the flue 8.

The boiler 6 and jacket 8 are secured within and concentric with a drum 13 forming an air jacket around the jacket, this drum extending downwardly below the boiler and jacket and being provided, at its lower end, with a circular receptacle 1% adapted to extend around the heater 11. This receptacle has an inlet opening 15 in the side of the drum so that the said receptacle can be partly or entirely filled with water as desired. This lower portion of the drum constitutes a humidor as will be hereinafter pointed out.

An air pipe connection 16 is provided between the upper portion of the drum 13 and the upper portion of the interior of casing 1 and another pipe 17 connects the lower portions of the drum and easing at a point close to but above the humidor.

An outlet flue 18 is extended from the up per portion of the drum and extending across the flue 8 and above the outlet flue 18 is a damper lever 19 which can be controlled by a thermostat in any well known manner, this lever carrying a damper 20 adapted to close the flue 8 and a damper 21 adapted to close the flue 18. The two dampers are designed to operate in unison to open or to close their respectii'e flues.

As shown particularly in Fig. 1, the top portion of the jacket 8 is provided with air vents 22 which allow the escape of products of combustion when the flue 8 is closed.

It is to be understood of course that under normal conditions the dampers 20 and 21 are closed. Consequently when the heater 11 is placed'in use, the products of combustion will flow upwardly in flue 12 and downwardly in flue S and upwardly in jacket 8 to openings 22 so as quickly to raise the temperature of the contents of the boiler, whereupon a circulation of water will be effected through the radiator 2 and the temperature within the casing 1 will be raised. At the same time the cold air Within the casing 1 will be displaced by the air which is heated within drum 13 and which enters the casing through the pipe 16. Consequently this cold air will flow through pipe 17 and into the drum where it will become commingled with vapor generated in the humidor and will rise Within the drum 13, carrying the vapor through pipe 16 and into the casing. As the temperature within the casing 1 reaches or passes a predetermined degree, lever 19 will be automatically actuated in any well known manner so as to open the flues 8 and 18. Consequently the products of combustion instead of traveling around the boiler 6 will flow directly through the flue 8 and into the external atmosphere, while a percentage of the air circulating through the drum'13 and the casing 1 will escape through the flue 18 and be replaced by fresh cool air entering the bottom of the drum l3 and entering the bottom of the casing through the openings 23. In this manner the temperature Within the casing 1 will be quickly reduced.

Importance is attached to the fact that a system such as herein described while operating automatically to maintain the temperature in the casing 1 at a predetermined degree, maintains, nevertheless, an even temperature throughout the interior of the casing and keeps the air in the casing warm, pure and moist.

Importance is attached to the fact that when the flue 18 is opened the drum 1?) is not only ventilated, as hereinbefore pointed out, but a reverse circulation is set up which induces the withdrawal of air through the connection 16 so that cold air will be caused to enter the casing 1 through openings in the bottom of the casing, one of these openings being shown generally at 23. Furthermore when damper 20 is open the circulation of products of combustion through the flue 8 and jacket 8 is not only reversed, but cold air is drawn into the jacket 8' through holes 22 and downwardly around the bottom of the boiler 6 and thence upwardly between the flues S and 12. This results in effecting the cooling of the water in the boiler rapidly whenever a movement of the thermostat opens the damper 20.

A drain indicated generally at 24, may be provided, at the bottom of the boiler 6.

hat is claimed is:

1. The combination with the casing of a structure to be heated and a hot water heating system including a radiator within the casing, a boiler having a central outlet flue for the products of combustion, a jacket housing the boiler for conveying products of combustion around the boiler, a fresh air drum housing the jacket and extending below the boiler, and a heater supported within the lower portion of the drum and dis charging its products of combustion within the flue, of tubular connections between the upper and lower portions of the drum and the upper and lower portions of the adjacent wall of the casing for maintaining communication between the drum and the interior of the casing, and a liquid holding receptacle in the lower portion of the drum and extendingaround the heater, there being a fresh air inlet around the heater and between the heater and said receptacle.

2. The combination with a casing to be heated, of combined heating and ventilating means including a radiator within the easing, a boiler outside of the casing and connected to the radiator, said boiler having a central flue extending therethrough, a jacket extending around the boiler and having out let openings in the top thereof, said jacket being in communication with the lower end of the flue, a drum housing the boiler and having an outlet at its upper end and a fresh air-inlet at its lower end, tubular connections between the upper and lower portions of the drum and the upper and lower portions of the casing, said drum, boiler and jacket being located entirely outside of the casing, and simultaneously movable dampers for opening or closing the outlets of the flue and drum respectively. V

3. The combination with a casing and a radiator therein, of combined heating and ventilating means located entirely outside of the casing and including a drum having an air inlet in the bottom thereof and an air outlet flue in the top thereof, tubular connections between the upper and lower end portions of the drum and the casing, a jacket extending through the upper portion of the drum and having air outlets in the upper end thereof, a boiler housed within the jacket and having a flue extending therethrough, a

heater located within the lower portion of the drum for directing hot gases into the flue, a lever, separate dampers connected to the lever for closing the respective fiues, and connections between the boiler and the radiator.

4. The combination with a casing and a radiator therein, of combined heatlng and ventilating means located entirely outside of the casing and including a drum having portion of the drum for directing hot gases into the flue, a lever, separate dampers conneetecl to the lever for closing the respective flues, and connections between the boiler and the radiator, there belng anannular water container around the air inlet in the bottom 15 of the drum and surrounding the heater.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed by signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER M. WICKSTRUM.

Witnesses C. M. VVIGHSTRUM, R. V. EMMERT.

Copies of this patent may be Obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

